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We had given Spartacus to his new owner on Monday and found this sweetie on Thursday. There was an ad on craigslist for a huge litter of puppies on the North Shore. They were half lab and I was definitely interested. Jason agreed to check them out and we had a beautiful drive up the North Shore at Sunset. So pretty.

There were 8-9 puppies and we had a hard time deciding. Well, we didn’t have any trouble eliminating the ones who looked like full labs because they were HYPER. They kept jumping and biting the kids clothes. Then we see our puppy with her brother, sitting quietly in the corner. We loved how calm they both were with all the chaos going on around them. So it came down to the two of them. Sweet Pea proclaimed she wanted a girl, but Jason wanted a boy since he would be huge (his paws were enormous).

He chose to go with Sweet Pea’s wishes.

Her name is Nalani. She is a shepherd and lab mix We decided to with a Hawaiian name for Hawaiian dog. It means heavenly calm. And it suits her so far. She is sweet and smart. She is pretty calm. She plays hard for 20-30 minutes and then sleeps for an hour. She has caught on to house-training in an unbelievable amount of time. No accidents in the house, yet. She loves to cuddle, which is probably because she was from a litter of 10 and used to a warm body to play or sleep with..

We have all fallen in love with her and we are so happy she joined our family. Jason especially, he finally feels he’s got a “man’s dog”. haha

I should have never gotten Spartacus, the dog. He was not made for family life. He was older (2 years) and too fragile for my rough and tumble two year old.

He was great for a couple of months, but a small dog can only tolerate so much. We had to limit playtime with the kids. The neighborhood kids treated him like a toy. (they got a little upset when he wasn’t allowed to play outside anymore)

The dog wanted to cuddle. Pure and simple. He wanted to be held like a baby. He did not want children to hold him though. Sweet Pea was gentle (for the most part) and he started to growl and snap at her whenever she walked nearby.

She loved that dog.

He just was not a good fit for our family. In addition, we could NOT house train him. He wouldn’t pee in the house, but he would poop.

So judge me. We made the decision to find the dog another home. Not because of the house training, but because he was not a good dog for a family.

We found him a wonderful home. An older lady who lived alone who wanted a companion. She plans to sleep with him, carry him in a purse, and have play dates with her friends who also have small dogs.

Perfect fit for him.

I feel bad for my girl, but she is adapting. And she got a new Betta fish, named Gizzy. Bubby could care less.

We do plan on getting another dog. A PUPPY. A larger breed. One that will play with children. One that will be more patient and grow up with crazy kids wanting to play with it.

But I feel we did what was best for the dog and my children. I am sure we will find a dog that is a perfect fit for our family.

The person who this post refers to, has hurt someone in my life very badly. Someone that I am close to and love dearly. Honestly, I am shocked and appalled at this person’s thoughts and actions. I am surprised there are people who are so close-minded in this world. I can honestly say I have never come into contact with someone who thought so highly of him or herself.

You see, this person, looks down on others who do not have an education. I’m sure they have learned it from their snotty, close-minded family. If you don’t have a degree, then you aren’t contributing to society.

Can you believe someone would openly say that? I mean, I guess it takes all kinds of people to live on this earth, therefore I should not be shocked at this person’s actions and words.

So….

You don’t think that janitor is contributing to society? The one who empties the trash in your classroom.

What about that person who serves your french fries? That you seem to enjoy….

What about that mechanic who fixed the brakes on your car? That’s important.. right? You do not want to have your brakes fail in heavy traffic.

The stay at home mom who guides her children to be good human beings? (and I am not saying all SAHMs are uneducated, but some choose to focus on being a mom as their life path, me included, at the moment.) One of the most satisfying jobs, if I say so myself.

Or the military personnel who are defending your country? Protecting your borders and making sure we can sleep soundly at night? The ones who give you the freedom to talk crap about others.

Are you that close-minded, sheltered, or immature to think that everyone in this world has to have a college education?! Can you not understand how insulting that is? You make generalized statements that uneducated women only chose rich or educated guys because of their money, that they have no life goals. It just makes me want to punch someone, and 2-3 people are at the top of my list.

Have you ever thought about the following scenarios?

My husband is a smart man, but has learning disabilities that hold him back. He gets frustrated easily when it comes to book learning. Instead, he can fix an engine or motor without having to consult a book. He can work on nearly everything in our household. I respect him greatly. His dream is to go to motorcycle trade school (I’m not sure of the actual term) and open up his own shop or work at one. Right now he is serving our country, making a difference in this world. I am so happy to hear that some ignorant people think my husband does not contribute to society because he doesn’t have a diploma on the wall.

Or how about others who are broke, they don’t have the financial freedom to go back to school. Sure, there are scholarships, grants, LOANS, but some people also have to make a LIVING. They don’t have mommy and daddy to fall back on and pay for everything. They can’t afford to go into more debt. Yes, it can be done, I’ve seen it done. Life happens. How can you judge someone, when you do not know their story.

And have you seen the news lately? An education does not guarantee a career. The only thing it shows is that you have a piece of paper showing you went to school for 4+ years. There are students drowning in thousands of dollars in debt because they are forced to get student loans, high-interest credit cards. So they have tens of thousands dollars in debt, and no money or job to help pay for it. (Feel free to click on the links at the bottom of this post, this is a huge problem in our country right now)

College does NOT equal money. I guess in this person’s eyes, a degree means a higher status?

Don’t get me wrong. I think a college education is great. I’m pursuing a bachelor’s degree myself. I am looking forward to the day I get my diploma. However, I do not need a diploma to contribute to this world. I am raising two wonderful kids. I am teaching them every single minute of every single day. I am supporting my husband, whose career can be very demanding. I am making a difference. I am contributing to society. I am going to school to better myself, to support my family if needed. I am not going because I want others to think I am more important or smarter than anyone.

You might have a college degree, but at least I have respect for people in all walks of life.

You do not know their story.

They could be working at a strip joint to put themselves through college or to provide money for their children the best way they know how.

That person in McDonald’s might be fresh out of college, but can’t find anything else to pay off his loans.

The person that has been stuck in a dead-end job for years might have tons of personal, financial, physical stuff to sort through. They feel they are barely keeping their head above water. That’s life. It is not all unicorns and rainbows.

Repeating myself, you do not know their story!

Every person makes a difference in this world. Some contribute more than others, but NO ONE is more important than the other. Shame on you for thinking that way. You are an ignorant, immature idiot who needs to a little more living and less talking out of your ass.

I am incredibly fortunate that we can afford for me to stay at home with our children. Before giving birth to Sweet Pea I thought I would okay with possibly getting a job. Haha After she was born, it almost physically hurt to leave her. (Of course, now that they are both a little older, some grown-up time would be nice haha)

Anyway, I would miss so much stuff if I wasn’t home to enjoy it.

For example, an hour ago, Bubby grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, opened the pantry and grabbed some cereal. Then he proceeded to open up the cereal and pour it into his bowl (mostly successful in not spilling). He is a very determined little boy.

A couple of weeks ago we went to a local museum and walked through a cool tunnel lit up with neon stuff and black light. Sweet Pea grabs me hand and says “I am freaking.out!” She is 4 going on 15.

Sweet Pea also told me one day that she would like Santa to bring her a Pony. I’m sure that would be great for our yard that is not much bigger than a postage stamp. 😉

Bubby came up to me the other morning, grabbed my hair brush and started brushing my hair. After he was done he told me I looked pretty. (or pr-ee-y) Then said “hair out of eyes” and brushed my hair away from my face. He also tells me I look cute everytime I wear a skirt. ❤

We had to take the kids to the doctor a couple of weeks ago. They both had high fevers and were complaining that their throats hurt. So I told Sweet Pea where we were going, and she got upset, and said, “NO! I don’t want my belly cut!!” She was a little worried after my surgery and we had a long talk about it. Which ended up with her asking me where babies come from… that conversation will have to wait a few years. haha

Finally, here is a link to a video of Bubby’s versions of robot and motorcycle. (I don’t know how to embed videos without having to pay) It is worth it to click the link. He says “I’m done” when he realizes I am recording him.

Thank God I married a man who enjoys working on stuff around the house. Just in the past few months, he has saved us a couple thousand of dollars. Our laptop had issues, he took it apart and fixed it. Our dryer wouldn’t turn on, he fixed it within 2-3 hours and it didn’t cost us a cent. Same thing with our washer last weekend. I cannot count the number of things this man has fixed in our almost nine years of marriage.

Speaking of marriage, we will have been married nine years today. Almost to the big TEN. 🙂

Craziness. The time has flown by in the recent years.

I am thankful to have such a great husband. He might be forgetful, (Yes honey, I will not forget that you forgot Mother’s Day this year), but I am lucky to have him.

He is a wonderful father. He loves to play with the kids. He takes over parenting duties without me having to say a word. He teaches them so many things and hates when his babies don’t feel well.

He cleans, the kitchen. 😉 He has to have a clean sink before bed. I only wash dishes when he is on duty or on deployments.

He spoils me. He will go without to get me or the children something. And honey, it would be nice if you would not make me feel guilty for wanting to do the same for you.

He works hard to make sure the kids and I have a good life. He provides well for our family and we appreciate it. I am also thankful that he is willing to work as hard as he does so I can stay home with our kids. The past four years have been some of the best in my life.

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Even on the days where he drives me absolutely BONKERS, I am very grateful to be married to him. We’ve had our share of rough days, weeks, and even months, but we have come out stronger for fighting for our marriage. I am hoping we can be happy together for many, many, more years.

I love you, Jason. You’ve been my rock for the past nine years. I could not have asked for a better dad for our children. You are smart, caring, loving, and funny.

Happy Anniversary!

P.S. Thank you for being so handy. It makes the frugal part of me jump for joy. Not to mention is it very “manly”.

If someone is bleeding, bring it on. I want to get a look at the injury. I’m fascinated with that stuff, one of the reasons I wanted to go in the medical field. The only time I get worried is when it involves my children, so please kids, don’t bleed. (Mommy doesn’t want to check out a wound to see if I can see your muscle or bone.)

If you vomit, I will not rub your back. (Unless maybe your my child.)

I will not clean your vomit from any surface.

I will run far, far away to avoid the smell and sound. If I can’t run, I will probably squeeze my eyes shut, sing really loud and try to plug my nose and my ears at the same time. And possibly be crying.

I HATE vomiting. Well, maybe, not hate it. I have an irrational fear of starting to puke and never stopping.

I haven’t puked since I was December of 2002. That’s how much I hate puking. I remember that last time I puked. That’s sad, that I know when I puked last.

I have no idea how I made it through both of my pregnancies without puking. I was SO queasy and nauseous. Constantly. It was horrible with Sweet Pea. I’ve been seasick, yet I will lay down in the boat or my husband’s lap and tell myself, “you are a huge wimp. You are NOT going to puke right now. SUCK IT UP!”

I’ve been drunk, and still won’t puke. Actually, I’ve never drunk so much where I’ve felt nauseous..maybe it is that fear of puking that makes me hold back when I actually do drink more than a glass of wine?

I guess I would rather feel queasy for 2-3 hours, or more, than puke one time and feel 1000 times better.

I didn’t say it made sense.

Anyway.

There was a short and weird virus that hit our household last week. First Sweet Pea had it. She wouldn’t eat, but that’s not saying anything, eating has become a small battle in her house. Then I asked her if she wanted to play outside and she told me “NO!!”. That made my radar go off, check her forehead and she is burning up. She has a fever of 101. And that was the only symptom, besides being tired and grumpy.

Then, of course, a day later, Bubby starts acting off, I check his temperature, it’s 102! He is miserable. He seems to have been hit harder with it, all he wanted to do was lay on top of me.

That night, he puked upstairs. Thankfully, I was not around for this and Jason was the one who saw it. (he puts that kids to bed)

And to tell you the truth, I was scared to get in bed with my son. I was scared he was going to puke.

Which he did!!

He woke me up at 4am out of a sound sleep, he was gagging in his sleep. I immediately freak the heck out. I bounce out of bed, going, “oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Help me. He’s going to puke.”

I am torn, should I stay with him and try to catch the puke? Get a towel, but will I make it back in time? What if he pukes in the bed? Is he going to choke since he is still sleeping? At this point, I am almost crying for fear that I’m going to have to clean up puke. Not that my son feels bad, but because I have to clean up his puke.

*sigh* I am a horrible mother.

It wasn’t that bad though, I run to get a towel, I hear him gagging then swallow the puke down. (Holy Moly). I almost lost it.

What the heck am I going to do if a stomach virus hits this house? Well, I know what I would do.. I would go far, far away, and let Jason handle it. (Just kidding! Kind of.) But what if Jason isn’t home to help me. Does some mother instinct kick in to help the fear of puke?!

I honestly prayed that my kids would get the stomach of steel from me. That was one of my hopes when I was pregnant. I’m dead serious. I don’t remember having stomach viruses, I know my sister did. I was the sickly one who kept getting strep and mono.. she would get a stomach virus once a year. I would rather have strep throat.

Please tell me I’m not the only mom out there who has this same fear.

And to my friends, family, acquaintances, if you ever have a stomach virus float through your home, know that I will not be visiting you and your home till I know it is safe.

P.S. If you hate vomiting too, don’t google “no puking symbol”. All I can see in my head are images of people puking. God help me.

He is a Maltese that we found at the humane society. He is 2 years old. I’m not sure why his previous owners gave him up. The shelter had no information. They told me that he was dropped off, and the owners didn’t say a word.

He is mostly house trained. It is something we are working on. He doesn’t have many accidents in the house. We finally got him going outside in the grass, but he still wants to go on the patio. We are spraying bleach out there constantly. We’ve only had him a week, it something that will take some time.

He is, mostly, very calm. EXCELLENT with the kids. He loves to cuddle, as most small dogs like to do. He loves going on walks.

Hanging out with Sparty in his bed.

And he thinks he some big Doberman or something. It is hilarious. If he hears a noise at night, he starts growling and barking. If someone walks on the sidewalk, he barks at them the whole time. One night he came flying up the stairs when one of the kids started crying. He checked out all the rooms then came to sit beside us.

Sweet Pea loves him. It is not OUR dog, he is HER dog. We are hoping to eventually get him completely house-trained so he can sleep in her room at night. I know she would love it. (Don’t worry, when Bubby gets older and we move back to the mainland, we’ll be getting another dog that is a little more manly for Jason and him. haha)

She loves him.

Overall, he seems to be a great fit. It wasn’t much of a disruption bringing him into our home, he has adapted great. Hopefully he will bring years of happiness to the kids.

Instead of throwing a birthday party for Sweet Pea, we decided for her to have a special experience instead. I had recently found out that you can eat with Disney characters at the new Aulani Disney resort. It is not just for hotel guests, it is for anyone who wants to go. You just have to make reservations in advance. And it not cheap. For three of us to eat (they didn’t charge for Bubby), it was 110 bucks with tip. I will say the breakfast is AWESOME. They had everything imaginable, even grits! The only thing I would change, is putting some salt into those grits. 😉

It was a blast. Sweet Pea had no idea what we were doing for her birthday. All she knew is that she was going to have a special guest come (my sister’s family) and a special breakfast. She went crazy when she saw Mickey Mouse. As soon as she could, she ran up to him and gave him a big hug. She was so excited.

After taking pictures with Mickey we met up with Goofy.

Sweet Pea was too excited to eat, and wouldn’t eat until Minnie came up to our table. Finally she did and Sweet Pea freaked out and was so happy. It was worth every penny.

They sang Happy Birthday to her and the kids all got a special treat. And they had Auntie walking around, singing songs and playing games with the kids.

It took a while for Bubby to warm up, he was hungry and stupid me didn’t give him a snack before we left. Breakfast was late (11am) and he is used to eating as soon as he gets out of bed. I believe he had a good time, eventually. He liked to flirt with Minnie Mouse.

If you are in Hawaii and have children, you should definitely try to take them. They will LOVE it.

I need something to lighten my mood up. My sister, brother in law, and niece came into town. I really hope they enjoyed themselves, even though it rained the majority of the time they were here. 😦

We actually had a new experience and FINALLY went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. I loved every second of it. Jason enjoyed himself too. We are going to try and do it more often. It is not something that is family friendly though, at least families with small children. I prefer to have someone by my side when swimming. I am not the world’s strongest swimmer. Plus most places are very rocky and the reef that can be damaged. I don’t want my kids or the reef to be harmed. Definitely going to have to get a baby-sitter soon and go to another snorkeling spot.

My sister’s family tried to do everything they could. I just wish the weather would have been nicer. The beaches are so much prettier when the sun is out.

Anyway, it was a good time. It was wonderful for my niece and Sweet Pea to play. They even had sleepovers in Sweet Pea’s room. It makes me a little sad though, I really wish we lived closer to our family. What can you do? It is something we knew would happen with Jason being in the Coast Guard.

Here are some pictures that we took snorkeling, and other stuff. 🙂 If you every come to Hawaii, snorkeling needs to be one your bucket list!!